A Letter to Little One

Dear Little One,

        You are already making quite an impression on this family, and there is a chance that you may not even be conceived yet.  In a sense, you have already had a first Christmas because you received some sweet and special gifts this year. 

       Mimi and Poppy gave you a teething ring that has been in the family.  Although I am sure that it has been thoroughly sanitized (your Mimi is not a fan of germs), we are not planning on letting you drool and gnaw on it.  The note that accompanied the present made Daddy and me very happy and even more excited as we wait patiently for you to arrive.  We have already made plans to frame it for your room.  

        Today you received another gift from one of my oldest friends.  Her name is Courtney, and she (along with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. McKinney) gave you an ultra soft blanket.  I could not take my hands off of it when I opened it.  Hopefully we can share it while we snuggle. 

        We love the gifts we have received.  We know, however, that the greatest gift we will ever receive will be you.  (Sorry for the mushiness, but expect more because I am an emotional gal and I am tearing up as I write this.)

                                                                              Love you,

                                                                                Mommy



 P.S.-Blogger would not let me post the picture of the blanket, but it is a keeper. :)

Crafty Wrapping

I found this crafty way to reuse old cereal boxes in Family Fun magazine. 

You start with an empty cereal box.  Cut off the box tops on the end that is opened.

Wrap the box as if it were a present until you get to the open end of the box.  Tuck the paper in the open in and tape it to the inside of the box neatly.

Make two holes on each side of the box to thread a ribbon through to make handles.

It makes a sturdy gift bag.  The magazine called them "baxes," but when you say that, no one knows what you are talking about so it still requires an explanation.



Isn't that just dandy and cute!

White Christmas

Not only is this one of my favorite movies and songs, but it really happened.  According to my pops (who, by the way, wins Jeopardy every night), this hasn't happened in South Carolina since 1953.  It was so fun to watch it coming down with my family, but I did have to cut out early on some fun family gaming to get home before it got sketchy on the roads.  Here are some pics from outside my house. 

May your days be merry and bright,

And may all your Christmases be white

(Or at least one every 50 years).

Christmas Traditions

We don't have too many Christmas traditions yet. 

We decorate the weekend of Thanksgiving, but I think that is mostly because it won't get done any other time if it doesn't get done then.  We hang our Christmas cards on a beaded garland around a door frame, but I think I stole that one from someone.  We have tried doing our Advent wreath every night in December like I did when I was growing up, but with Jeff's work schedule it is really difficult to do that.  We usually go to church on Christmas Eve, but this year that will be different, again because of Jeff's work schedule. 

So I guess I am ready to start some new traditions. 

I read a lot of people's blog and many people with children try to do something Christmas-related each day of December.  Even though I don't have a child, and may still not have one when next Christmas rolls around, I am going to start a list of things I would like to do during the month of December.  I figure if I make the list now, I can rearrange some to fit Jeff's work schedule.  Most of these I have stolen from other people, but they look so fun.

1-Watch White Christmas
2-Decorate the tree, but start by putting a nail in the trunk.  The tree and nail represent the sacrifices that God made by sending His son, Jesus, to Earth for the sole purpose of dying on a cross for our sins. 
3-Go look at Christmas lights while eating donuts
4-Bake with friends and/or family (I did do this one this year)
5-Go to a Christmas program at our church
6-Go to a Christmas program at another church
7-Read Twas the Night Before Christmas (the original version)
8-Read a different version of Twas the Night Before Christmas (Teacher, South Carolina, Redneck, etc.)
9-Go caroling
10-Exchange gifts with friends
11-Make a gingerbread house
12-Add an item to our memory ornament (may blog more about this later)
13-Wrap presents
14-Address Christmas cards
15-Read the Christmas story
16-Attempt to write/read the Christmas story from the viewpoint of a person or thing who was present (Mary, Josesph, the hay, the stable)
17-Spend a day/evening with my family
18-Spend a day/evening with Jeff's family
19-Go see my grandmother who does not travel
20-Buy gifts for a child in need
21-Buy gifts for an elderly person in need
22-Deliver gifts that we bought
23-Make cookies for Santa
24-Play carols on the piano
25-See what Santa brought

Wow!  That is a lot of stuff.  I may not get it all done and I may completely change my mind by next year, but I am impressed that I could come up with something to do each day of December leading up to Christmas.

Now that I did all that, I realize that Jeff and I did start a new tradition this year.  I found a Family Bible while I was Christmas shopping at Books-a-Million one day.  It is wonderful.  Without going on forever about all that it has to offer, there is a series within the Bible called "Christmas is Coming," and Jeff and I have been reading a part of it most days in December.  It is made to be used with children, but some of the discussion questions have really sparked a discussion between Jeff and me.  More than anything, it has brought us back every day to what Christmas is all about.  We have studied the prophecies, the birth story, and his ministry.  It is awe-inspiring every time we read it, talk about it, ponder it, study it. 

For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son...   ~John 3:16   

Go Pack Go!

After I stuffed myself on Thanksgiving and did that crazy shopping thing on Friday (1st and possibly last time), Jeff and I headed to Atlanta with the Jordans for a fun and filled weekend. We started at the Jordans' house with breakfast and then we headed to Atlanta...with a few stops. We had to stop in Commerce. Stopping at Commerce is like stopping at Krispy Kreme when the "Hot Now" red light is on...you just hafta do it. We went to the Coleman outlet and dreamed about all of the fun things we wanted to buy to go camping with. Then we remembered that we had so much stuff the last time we went that we couldn't possibly take more stuff.
We got back in the car and kept trekking down the road until we got to the Bass Pro Shop, which happens to be attached to the most interesting mall. The boys stayed at Bass Pro Shop while the girls headed out into the mall. In this mall (Discover Mills), there is just about any type of store you could imagine, a prety good food court (including a Chili's), an IMAX theater, and a Medieval Times. We decided that we could definitely live in this mall, and that there was probably a hotel tucked around a corner that we missed when we blinked.
After all of that fun, we got back in the car and finally made it to our hotel, but we only stayed long enough to throw our suitcases in the room and head back out to World of Coke. The last time I went to World of Coke was about 3 years ago and it was okay for a 5th grade field trip, which is what I was on. It is way better now. It is at least 2 times the size it was, it has 2 movies to view (one of which is 4D), and you get a free Coke in a glass bottle...and we all know that there is nothing better than Coke in a glass bottle (can I get an Amen!).
We ended the night with a little dinner before heading into the hotel to watch some rivalry weekend football, but we mostly watched the inside of our eyelids.
We woke up the next morning to do what we came to do: cheer on the Greenbay Packers. I had never been to a professional football game so I figured that it would be a cool experience for Jeff and me. And I will admit that if I ever had to pull for an NFL team, it would be the Packers because when I was younger, I did have a crush on Brett Favre (my secret is out). It was a fun game and thankfully we were surrounded by Packers fans. Nothing kills your joy like going to a game and having to sit in the midst of the other team's fans. It was a good game, but sometimes I think the Packers forgot how football was supposed to be played. They lost by a stinkin' field goal in the last 30 seconds of the game. It was kind of a sad ride home because Hawk is a big fan of the Packers...well that, and the 5+ hours of traffice we sat in...did I mention that we had 6 adults (one who is really tall) in a Grand Marquis...good times.

Hawk and Jeff before the game-we were in the 3rd row from the top

Halftime Show

The entrance of the Falcons-lots of pomp

the Packers entering the field

We decided that even though we had a great time at the game, we would like to see another one in Wisconsin so we can have the home field experience. Go cheeseheads!

Ella takes Anderson

A couple of weekends ago, the Burleys came to visit and to introduce Ella to Anderson...or should I say introduce Anderson to Ella. She stole everyone's hearts with her sweet smile (much like her big sister, Camryn).

We had a delicious dinner at DaVinci's followed by a superb Saturday with our friends. It's always sad to say goodbye, but it just gives us a reason to plan another visit.

Camryn and Ella

Allen and Ella

Ella and Allen

Ella and Kelli having a little face time

Ella, Kelli, and Stacy

We have been...

1. putting in new floors. As of this morning, the last board went into place. Now, the quarter round must be installed and then we will put everything back in place.

2. living our own little episode of Hoarders. All of our belongings are piled around us. There are little pathways to get from place to place throughout our house. We are sleeping on a mattress on the dining room floor. My piano is serving as my pantry. Need I say more?

3. living through my first year of teaching all over again. I forget that switching anything that I am teaching feels like taking my first steps in my first days of fifth grade at a rural elementary school in the fall of 2004. Then it was a new subject, then a new grade, then a new school, then another new subject, and now another new grade. Bring on the late afternoons of planning, making/creating everything again for the first time, never leaving my school bag at school or in the car, and coming home with a to-do list every weekend.

4. getting ready for Judgement House. Our church has been doing this for the past two years (this being the third), and this is the first year I have been able to participate. It is so awesome to see so many people pull together and make sacrifices for the same cause. Soooo many people come through each year, and we are bathing the whole process in prayer so that we can do what God leads us to do and so that He can get the glory.

5. filling out lots of paperwork. ("Why?") We have begun the adoption process. As a matter of fact, we will experience our first adoption class with Bethany Christian Services very soon. I guess you would say that the paperwork has been the main reason for the lack of blogging. I spent most of my sitting-down-at-the-laptop time working on a huge checklist of stuff. We don't know much, and no, there is not already a child waiting in the wings that we are aware of, but we do know that God already has it all figured out, and that just makes me say, "whew."

To Save a Life

My church showed the movie To Save a Life this past Saturday night on the lawn at our church. I received this in an email from our youth director this morning:

There’s no better way to start a Monday off than with a praise report! Boy, do I have a good one. I cannot even begin to describe all that God did through our showing of the movie “To Save a Life.” But I’ll try my best…First of all, we had over 300 students and parents in attendance which was absolutely amazing! Second, we were able to watch it under the stars as planned despite the fact that it was raining everywhere in Anderson except at our church. (No joke. I was watching the radar and receiving a lot of calls. Lol.) And finally, many lives were changed. We had 8 decisions that we know of. Two new salvations and 7 rededications. And I literally saw families draw closer to each other and God. Amen to that!

For me personally, it was one of those moments I will remember for the rest of my life. Although I have worked with children and youth for several years, I cannot recall an experience like this. The movie was great. It spoke volumes. But what happened after the movie was the most amazing part. We literally bathed everyone there in prayer. As soon as the movie was over, our youth director asked several adults to begin praying right away for the rain to hold off and for lives and families to be changed. While we prayed, he shared his testimony, and then he told parents to go pray with their kids and for every person there to grab someone and pray over them and with them. I had the amazing opportunity to pray with a young lady. I have never ever done this before. It was such an honor to pray with her to our most loving and gracious God, to introduce Him to her as one of His children, even though He has known her since before she knew herself. I will always remember this moment and this girl. What an awesome God we serve! He deserves all of our praise and all of the glory!

Hello love

I have just found my cooking soul mate.

A short history of Sarah Ellen's cooking experience:
-Our smoke alarm goes off no less than once a week because I burn something.
-We budget five extra dollars each week in the event that I try a new recipe and it's awful. The $5 is for a Hot-and-Ready Pizza from Little Caesar's...and about 95% of the time, we use it.
-Jeff's brother will always be over the day that I decide to try something new, and bless his heart, he will eat it and compliment me on it.
-It is not truly cooking unless something on the stove-top boils over.

Which leads to the most amazing purchase I have ever made. I heart my crockpot.

Enter AYearofSlowCooking. So many wonderful recipes that I cannot screw up. Hence the "hello love" and "cooking soul mate".

Here's the menu for the week in our house.

Sunday night: Leftover meatloaf (not from the crockpot-one of the very few recipes I have mastered that actually gets cooked in the oven)

Monday: something already made from the freezer (thank you Bertolli dinners for 2)

this is where the magic starts
Tuesday: Cream Cheese Chicken (in the Crock Pot)

Wednesday: Chicken Club Sandwiches and Salad (something quick so we can scoot to church)

Thursday: Hawaiian Ribs (in the CP) and Asian Cole Slaw

Friday: I do not cook on Fridays. Judge me if you want to. My brain is mush on Fridays.

Saturday: 3-Packet Pot Roast with veggies (in the CP)

I have already gathered several more recipes for the CP and I am so pumped. The beauty of it all is that I walk in the door to the wonderful aroma that smells like I have been in the kitchen all day long. I throw some sides together and we have dinner!

Best of all, my CP even goes in the dishwasher.

Thoughts and Things

1. My husband brought home a big ole log of butter today from Happy Cow. I am so happy. I feel the need to cook something Paula Deen-style.

2. Oh yeah...and there's also 4 gallons of whole milk in my fridge. It truly is the small things for me.

3. The floors are at a standstill for the time being, but my husband assured me that if I promised not to plan any more out-of-town trips, he would do his best to get them done ASAP. I am more than ready to put my house back together.

4. How exactly do people leave their classrooms every day at 3:30 with nothing in their hands to do at home, and yet they still have it all together? How?!?!

5. I have made the executive decision that I am going to be a stay-at-home mom when the time comes. I could actually make a good case for being a stay-at-home wife. We may be living on beans (if there is a coupon that I can double), but I do not see how I can make time for it all. I know that people do it, but I just don't know that I can.

6. I really want an IPad.

7. I am tempted to be sign up for Facebook, but every time I get on someone else's, I feel like hours of my life are sucked up into the great beyond. So all of you Facebook-ers...just keep updating me on everyone's lives.

Renovations

We have been undergoing some pretty big renovations around here. Jeff and I have been talking about hardwood floors for a long time. Our carpet is the original stuff and not the best stuff. The house is only 5 years old and the carpet looks like it is 15 years old. Jeff did his research and convinced me (after I was worried sick) that he could do the job himself. We picked out the wood we wanted and the project began. Because of Jeff's work schedule, the project is slow-going, but the floors look great and Jeff is having a great time. One room is complete and in about 5 minutes, room number 2 will be done.

The blue tape holds everything together tightly until the glue dries.

The man with the skills fitting in the last piece.

Cooking Oil

With my newly discovered allergies, eating out requires many more questions. The peanut allergy seems to be the biggest one. Sometimes waiters/waitresses are overly worried about it. We had a waiter at Outback in North Myrtle Beach tell us that they did not use peanut oil in the restaurant, but that some of their food came from factories that also processed peanuts. Good work, Outback waiter!

Then we get the folks who are completely bothered and almost ticked off that we even ask. Hello, people! This is literally life or death for me!! Take a look at this trip we took to Wendy's.

Jeff: Sir, what kind of oil do you use in your fryers?

Drive-thru guy: Uh....well....um....we use cooking oil.
(sidebar in the car between Jeff and SE: cooking oil??? That's like saying, "what kind of pencil do you use?" and having someone answer, "A writing pencil!")

Jeff: Sir, my wife has a peanut allergy and we want to make sure that the french fries are not cooked in peanut oil.

DTG: Oh, I don't think we use peanut oil.

Jeff: Well, we need to know for sure so could you find out for sure.

DTG: (with an immediate answer...could not possibly have had time to even ask someone) We do use peanut oil.

Jeff: Thanks. (and he drives off)

Jeff and I knew that the guy had not asked anyone and they probably didn't use peanut oil, but I would rather him tell me yes and be wrong than tell me no and be wrong.

Birthday Fun

So for all three of you who read my blog...maybe you knew this about me...maybe you didn't.

I LOVE NASCAR.

I take that back.

I love some good ole redneck car racing of any kind. Drag strips. Two young bucks on a country road. Talladega. Doesn't matter. I love it.

Is it the wrecks? Perhaps.
The suspense of the final lap? Oh yeah.
Is the people? Um...oh YEAH.

Jeff and I were introduced to a show on the History Channel called Madhouse. It is a reality show that documented the lives of handful of guys who race at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC. We loved this show because these people are crazy about racing (and maybe just a little crazy in general... ut in a healthy way). When the show ended we were a little sad, but thanks to the Internet, we located the Bowman Gray website and race schedule. Things totally fell into place. My birthday fell on a race day, Jeff had the weekend off, and (drum roll please) it was $1 Ladies Night! It was unanimously decided that we would drive up, watch the races, and drive back. My little sis, Bekah, joined us and off we went.

Waiting to go in the stadium. We were about an hour early and it was HOT.

They were giving free stuff away all night, ranging from a free meal at Waffle House to a riding lawnmower. They announced that they would flash a date on the screen and if it was your's, you would win a gift certificate. Sure as the world, they showed Jeff's. He won a $25 gas card so we actually made money on this trip.

There were several races (between 6-8) followed up by a demolition derby. They racers we watched on television and pulled for (Go Myers brothers!) race the cars you see above, which are called modifieds.

Check out all the people! A man who was in line with us had been to a race two weeks before and he told us to immediately go and find a seat when we got in because he had to stand during the last race [even though the stadium holds 10,000 people].

Bekah and I taking it all in. In the first lap of the first race, a car completely flipped in the air and hit the wall. All of the metal unfolded itself off the car as it flipped. The driver was okay...okay enough to try to fight the guy that hit him. Jeff and I thought it was cool. Bekah was completely traumatized.

We forgot to buy earplugs so I figure all three of us will be in line to purchase our hearing aids before all of you.

We had so much fun and plan to take in one more race before the end of the season.

Where Were You on the Night of July 24, 2009?

I was right here at the Hoop-De-Do Revue at Fort Wilderness in Disney World, enjoying a little finger foods with my peeps for my birthday.



For my birthday this year, I will be here, at Bowman Gray Stadium, enjoying a little bit of redneck modified NASCAR racing. And yes, there will be pictures.

Cuteness

Toward the end of last week, I made the not-so-long (if you don't get lost) trek to meet Miss E.Claire and visit with Cam, Heather, and Jason. Here are just a few pictures (because there are so many more).

The Late Show with E.Claire

E.Claire and big sis, Camryn

Tonight, Jeff and I went to Abbeville for Grayson's first birthday. Grayson is my sweet friend, Hannah's, youngest.

Big sister, Claire, slam-dunking on her brother's new basketball goal. Each shot was followed with jubilant clapping and an "I did it!"

Cute cousin Peyton sippin' on her Capri Sun.

Birthday Boy Grayson enjoying his cake.

Baby Love

We have been inundated with babies these days. From college friends to high school friends to church friends to old friends, we have been seeing photos of, visiting, holding, and buying gifts for lots of babies. And I personally am loving every minute of it.

This July officially marks 3 years of Jeff and I not preventing pregnancy (after 3 years, I am tired of saying "trying"). The first year was okay. A few tears here or there, but no real worries. After some testing, we started on some fertility help, but after a miserable 3 months, we decided we were done with that.
I was furious. This stuff was supposed to work! I was supposed to be pregnant and I wasn't month after month! I was very angry with God. Had He seen how great my husband was with kids? No problems with a fussy one or even a dirty diaper. And me...the only jobs I have ever had involved children. I mean, I practically raised a set of twins that I babysat for. Were we just not good enough?

After much prayer and buckets of tears and still no baby, I am completely content. God has taught me several lessons through all of this. The biggest one for me is the realization that He is in total control. I remind myself of that daily (sometimes hourly, especially when I don't like what's going on). He is laying out what is best for our family every second of every day. How can I be unhappy about that?! He has also taught me that He picked the most perfect person to walk beside me. Can't say much more about that guy without tearing up.

With all of that being said, God is giving us a little nudge to open ourselves up to different options for enlarging our family. Fostering, adopting, and fertility treatments are all on the table at this point, and I feel like God is saying, "Go ahead. I've got it all figured out."

Top 12 Things I Love About a Cruise - Part 2

Picking up where we left off...

6. Towel Art and other bedtime stuff
I loved coming in to our stateroom after dinner to see the bed turned down, our "Fun Times" telling us the next day's activities, our chocolates, and our towel animals. Can you guess the animals?

animal 1

animal 2

animal 3

animal 4

1-walrus, 2-jazzy rabbit with sunglasses, 3-chillin' by the pool rabbit, 4-elephant

5. Crazy games and activities.

Our cruise included two full days at sea. This means there are tons of activities to participate in and/or laugh at. We watched people do sound-bite trivia, minute to win it games, and so on.

Guys on one side and girls on the other. You guessed it: Time for a heated game of Battle of the Sexes.

Ladies cheering "You can't do that!" when the men are caught bending the rules.

4. Music and other spontaneous entertainment

There was no shortage of music on this cruise. Every kind you can imagine folks. And I loved the random acts of entertainment, even when it happened in my stateroom.

The Fantasy Band, my personal favorite group on the ship

Some reggae dudes, my personal by-the-pool favorite

One of our table-mates dancing with Sherwin, our waiter. All of the waiters and assistants danced for us one night in the dining room. I had a hard time keeping my seat because I love to kick up my heels.

This would be Jeff's impersonation of a fly (this is also the entertainment in my stateroom).

This guy and another guy randomly popped up on the ship to break dance. They were known as the Fun Force. Both of them had tried out for So You Think You Can Dance and made it to the third round. They were very entertaining and I loved how they seemed to just pop out of thin air.

Our ship had two water slides and this was the first thing Jeff wanted to do once we were settled into our stateroom. Woooo hoooooo!

3. Jewelry

You can get some amazing deals on jewelry in the Bahamas, and it is the real stuff (we have the papers to prove it). Two words folks: duty free!

Blue and white diamond earrings. These actually uncoil and become a dangling earring with the blue diamonds at the bottom.

This ring has blue diamonds on one side and when you separate the two bands and flip them over, there are black diamonds on the other side.

2. Midnight buffet

This had to be a separate entry from food because there is nothing like having a piece of pizza, a chocolate ice cream, and a hot chocolate at midnight after laughing your head off at a comedian, watching a great show, or shaking your groove thing. I deleted this picture accidentally, but I will upload it later.


1. KARAOKE

We ended most every night with a good hour of karaoke watching (too chicken to participate). We heard some great stuff and some not so great stuff. We witnessed some random people singing together, a few back up dancers, and some great sing-a-longs.

R-E-S-PECT...find out what it means to me.

This act was a family affair with sons backing up their father.

I do not remember what this guy was singing, but the guy in red felt the song needed a little Irish step dance to make it complete.